GAËL FICKOU

He's a senior figure for France and a 'veteran' despite not yet furning 30 - we get inside the classy centre's head

- Lauren Jenkins

REAKS AND telling defensive interventions. Even a try. In a hard-fought victory over Scotland, when things just looked out of sorts, Gaël Fickou stepped up to the plate for France in round two of the Six Nations. And it is that dependability that has made him such an important figure for les Bleus.

Believe it or not, Fickou made his Test debut against Scotland in 2013, when he was just 18 years and 355 days old. He has been around ever since and is still just out of his twenties. As a young pro his qualities were evident. After being released by his childhood club Toulon, he was snapped up by Toulouse and quickly dazzled on the top stage. Those in the know bought stock still earlier than all that. In 2012, after seeing him in an U20s shirt, then Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards said in The Guardian, “I’ve seen the future and it runs, tackles, scores tries and is called Gaël Fickou.” Today, Fickou is Edwards’s defensive captain for France.

He may have suffered heartache as France fell out of their home Rugby World Cup last autumn, but in this interview we find a calm, measured and sharp centre who is casting his eyes ahead...

How do you reflect on the disappointment of the World  Cup, a few months on?

We were very, very disappointed in the way it all ended. It was hard to move on, to turn your attention to something else, but you’ve got to find a way to remotivate yourself; find a goal and something to focus your attention on. We received a lot of criticism, a lot of people questioned us, but that’s part of the game, you expect it.